Basic Issues in Folksong Research 5/16/20111Eleanor Selfridge-Field.

Cultural Parameters of

Musical Similarity

Basic Issues in Folksong Research

5/16/2011 1Eleanor Selfridge-Field

Basic Factors in Folksong Research

Format considerations

Repertory considerations

Cultural considerations


Three Examples

Format-driven: Essen folksong

collection

Repertory-driven: Cretan traditional

music

Culture-driven: Samoan traditional

music


Three Examples

Format-driven: Essen folksong collection

Repertory-driven: Cretan traditional music

Culture-driven: Samoan traditional music


One parable

George List: “The Hopi Concept of Musical Similarity” (JAMS 1975)

From resources to methods

SYMBOLIC DATA

Limited quantities

Structured

Quantized

Easy to parse

Many parameters

accessible for processing

AUDIO DATA

Abundant quantities

Unstructured

(unencoded)

Unquantized

Difficult to parse

Few parameters

accessible for processing


Resources for (digital?) folksong research

Orally transmitted material changes constantly;

So do transcription, recording, and storage

methods

NVA


Interrelations and trade-offs

IMPINGEMENT

• Technical needs encourage

data uniformity

• Data uniformity may

compromise

• cultural perspectives

• musical content

• Musical variety thwarts use

of a single general approach

EXAMPLESGerman folksong Data uniformity Suited to symbolic

analysisCretan traditional

music Heterogeneity of

musical practices (parallel diversity)

Suited to audio analysisSamoan traditional

music Uniformity of musical

tradition Cultural contamination


Case 1. German folksong


Symbolic Data: EsAC

Essen Associative Code (EsAC)


Value of symbolic dataTracing and comparison of variants

A free-meter version (above)

Fixed-meter versions (below)

Art-song arrangement (varied melody)

(Titles treacherous in folksong research)


Themefinder matches for “Es liegt ein Schloss in Ősterreich”

Text match: “Es liegt ein Schloss….”

Text adaptation: Es liegt ein Haus im Oberland”


Themefinder matches for “Es liegt ein Schloss in Ősterreich”

Text match: “Es liegt ein Schloss….”

Text adaptation: Es liegt ein Haus im Oberland”

Meter/contour match; different text: “War einst ein Riese Goliath”


Aanalogous data (EsAC code in typescript)

Germany (DVA, Freiburg): numbers and metadata

changing

Austria: number unknown; organized by state (14)

Slovenia: c. 50,000 items

Serbia: c. 70,000 items

Croatia, Hungary: ??

Poland: facsimile of file-card version (66,000 items)

Netherlands: 500,000 items in different code (mainly text content)


Heterogeneous materials, many goals

Germany (DVA, Freiburg): robust scholarly enterprise

Austria: many states favor audio salesSlovenia: intended for “monuments” print seriesCroatia, Serbia, Roumania, NY: archives on

which Bartók explored systematic groupings according to “lexicographal” and “grammatical” principles (his aim was to understand

families rather than create finding tools; interested in rhythmic variants) Hungary: recent research by Juhacs (on global music)

Poland: facsimile (66,000 items), 1966

Bartók comparison of two melodies


Case 2: Cretan traditional music


Traditional Cretan vocal/choral music TULLIA MAGRINIEXS. 1 (FIRST STROPHE) AND 3 RIZITIKO

Sectional song Ex. 1=bipartite Ex. 3=tripartite

Sometimes accompanied by laoto Text: non-symmetrical phrases Relatively independent parts Balkan modes Additive rhythmic modules

e.g.6+6; 8+4; 8+5; 8+6; 8+8 beats

Progressively more elaborate melody


Cretan folk dances MAGRINI, EX. 16, DANCE

MALEVIZIOTIKO (DANCE) Group dance from Western

Crete Introduced in free rhythm Core work metrical (duple) Accomp. (3-stringed) violin and

laoto Performance: Progressively

faster (like a tarantella)


Maleviziotiko (for traditional Cretan

bagpipe) MAGRINI 17, BAGPIPE MUSIC

Free rhythm

Not appropriate for

symbolic or audio

analysis


Pentozalis5-step jumping danceMen onlyMeter = 2/4Melody played on lyra, accomp. on laotoPossible Minoan origin (?)

5/16/2011 Eleanor Selfridge-Field 19

Cretan traditional fluteMAGRINI 18, FLUTE MUSIC PIDICTOS

From center-west of Crete

For traditional fluteProbably introductoryBinary meter usualElaboration of single

tones common


Case 3. Samoan traditional music


General characteristics of Samoan music

Mainly choral; also group drumming

Much antiphony, responsorial singing

Overwhelming tonal

Collaborative adaptation, improvisation Spontaneous harmonization (Tonga, too)

Instruments imported (guitar, ukelele, harmonium)

Text phrases treated metrically but have no

poetic “foot”

Celebrate aspects of Samoan tribal, religious,

and family life

Influence of London Missionary Society evident

(n.b. dress)


Cultural contamination (classic case)

TRADITIONAL

Notation not usual

Lyrics not codified

Natural performance

Little recording (music free

to change)

Limited dissemination

Spontaneity

MODERN

Notation not usual

Lyrics often written

Electronically enhanced

performance

Much recording

Broad dissemination

Rehearsal, preparation


Samoa: siva performance (top), drumming


Cultural Contexts: German folksongs Easily handled

symbolically Social function usually

stable

Content variable Melodic Textual


• Narrative refers to: • captivity• execution • revenge• Death

• Moral function

Cultural contexts: Cretan traditional music Rizitiko Matrimony Patriotism

Syrtos Local, territorial import

Mandinades political import

Pendozalis (group dance) Festive occasions


Social functions stableContent somewhat unpredictable

Cultural contexts: Samoa (Western)

Group identity Family Clan Religious institution Nation (recent)

Social function Weddings Baptisms Funerals Selection of new chief Patriotic holiday

Rehearsed choirs Churches Schools and colleges Army companies

Informal music groups

Homes Gardens and beaches Work crews

Commercial substitutes

…too numerous to mention5/16/2011 Eleanor Selfridge-Field 27

Fundamental contradiction

THESISMusic exists only in

sound

Symbolic data is stable

ANTITHESISSound is its least

stable elementFolk music is

necessarily fluid


Partial resolution

THESIS Music exists only in sound Symbolic data is stable

ANTITHESIS Sound is its least stable

element Folk music is necessarily fluid


SYNTHESIS

Use symbolic data to encode

salient aspects in the evolution of

single works and genres

Resolution?

THESIS Music exists only in sound Symbolic data is stable

ANTITHESIS Sound is its least stable

element Folk music is necessarily fluid


SYNTHESISUse symbolic data to encode salient aspects in

the evolution of single works and genres

Cultural function more stable than musical features

Musical feature evaluation

ENDURING FEATURESMeterMode

TRANSIENT FEATURES• Title• Lyrics• Key• Tempo• Intonation• Timbre• Melodic detail• Ornamentation• Articulation


“Social Cognition and Melodic Persistence:Where Metadata and Content Diverge”ISMIR2006

Cultural analoguesENDURING MUSICAL FEATURESMeterMode

ENDURING CULTURAL FEATURESSocial meaningPersistent functions Dancing Feasts Rites of passage Group identity

Migratory tendencies

Melody Lyrics Progressive

elaboration5/16/2011 Eleanor Selfridge-Field 32

“Social Cognition and Melodic Persistence:Where Metadata and Content Diverge”ISMIR2006

Basic Issues in Folksong Research 5/16/20111Eleanor Selfridge-Field.

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